SJHS Newsletter 11.9.25

Today & Tomorrow:

• November 7 @ 4:30-6:00 PM - Soccer Team's State Championship Celebration at the HS Soccer Practice Field
• November 7 @ 4:45 PM - SJHS Varsity Girls Soccer firetruck parade from Ditty's to Soccer field
• November 7 @ 6:15 PM - Pre-game presentation for Girls Soccer State Champs at Mike Morgan Stadium
• November 7 @ 7:00 PM - SJ Football vs Chandler Prep at Mike Morgan Stadium, SJHS All ticketing through GoFan - AIA passes accepted (No other passes accepted) Senior Night at halftime
• November 8 @ 2:00 PM SJ Volleyball vs Veritas Prep at Corona Del Sol HS (Tempe) All ticketing through GoFan - AIA passes accepted
• November 8 @ 8:00 PM SJ Volleyball 2nd Round vs State TBD at Corona Del Sol HS (Tempe)

Weekly Highlights:

• November 10 @ 9:30 AM - SJUSD Veterans Day Assembly in Auditorium (see assembly bell schedule)
• November 11 - NO SCHOOL / Veterans Day
• Now - November 14 - PTSO Food Drive Competition Ends
• November 15 @ 1:00-4:00 PM - PTSO Holiday Market and Family Movie Event at the Middle School
• Now - November 25 - PTSO Fundraiser (see flyer in PTSO section)

Future Events - Save the Dates:

• November 26-28 - NO SCHOOL / Thanksgiving Break
• December 5 @ 8:30 - 11:30 AM - ASVAB Test in Library

Dear SJHS Families,

I’m thrilled to share some exciting news: We have officially met our St. Johns High School Improvement Plan Goal #3, by earning an “A” letter grade for the 2024–2025 school year from the Arizona Department of Education! Not only did we earn an "A," but our total points calculated toward our letter grade are the highest SJHS has received!

This recognition reflects the hard work, growth, and commitment of our entire school community—students, staff, and families alike.

Arizona’s school accountability system considers a range of indicators, including:

• Student proficiency and growth on state assessments (ACT, MSAA, AzSCI, ACT Aspire)

• Assessment participation rates with an expectation of at least 95% of students completing the ACT and ACT Aspire, plus bonus points awarded for participation above that rate

• College and career readiness through tests like ACT, SAT, and ASVAB, & completion of the FAFSA, all of which open doors to post-secondary opportunities

• Graduation rates of 90% or higher, and maintaining or improving that rate every year

To help you better understand how our “A” grade was earned, I have created a presentation that breaks down our 2024-25 SJHS data and celebrates the success we have achieved together.

• CLICK HERE to review the SJHS Letter Grade Presentation

As we move forward, let’s keep the momentum going:

• Students: Keep showing up every day, trying your best, learning all you can, and exploring your options—whether that’s college, career, or service.

• Families: Encourage your student to not only prepare for the state assessments (ACT, AzSCI, or ACT Aspire), but to also sign up for the ASVAB and complete the FAFSA. See our Counselor's Corner section below for more information on both or talk with our counselor about next steps.

• Staff: Thank you for continuing to inspire, support, prepare, and challenge our learners every day.

We are proud to continue the tradition of excellence at St. Johns High School and look forward to achieving more milestones in the future.

With gratitude,

Mrs. Mo

by Bianca Diaz

Missing just a few days each month can lead to serious learning gaps and missed opportunities.

If you miss 2 days a month:

• That’s 20 days a year—almost a full month of school.

• You’ll miss roughly 30 hours of math and 60 hours of reading/writing.

• Over four years of high school, that’s more than one full year of lost learning.

If you miss 4 days a month:

• That’s 40 days a year—about two months of school.

• You’ll miss around 60 hours of math and 120 hours of reading/writing.

• By graduation, you could fall behind by over two years of schoolwork.

Why It Matters:

• Regular attendance improves grades and test scores.

• Colleges and employers look for reliability and commitment.

• Missing classes can make it harder to keep up and stay motivated.

Parents/Guardians/Community Members: If you would like to help or donate rewards to our students for good or improved attendance, please fill out the form below.

ASVAB Information

This year, on December 5, 2025, St. Johns High School is participating in the ASVAB Career Exploration test, a no-cost career planning tool.

Last year, more than 786,000 students in 13,976 high schools across the nation explored the post-secondary options and found careers with ASVAB CEP. ASVAB CEP has been credited with inspiring young people to explore careers in the context of their skills and interests, resulting in greater career satisfaction, reduced student loan debt and less time wasted pursuing an ill-fitting field.

We invite you to join the movement and to help inspire young people to become #optionready. Encourage your sophomore, junior or senior to visit Mr. Johnson in the Career Center to sign up to participate.

What to expect:

1. Students don’t have to do any lengthy preparation. How much they have learned through the years will probably make the most difference in their results. Those looking for practice test items can find them here: https://www.asvabprogram.com/student-program
2. About two weeks after the test, results will be available in the counselor’s office. We scheduled the post-test interpretation in the Career Center for March 5, 2025. At this session, your child will receive access to asvabprogram.com where they will get score interpretation, complete an interest inventory and conduct career exploration activities. They will have access to this portal for up to two years. We encourage you to use this website with your child to discuss post-secondary planning together.
3. Please sign up to take the ASVAB with Mr. Johnson by December 1, 2025.

Thank you,

Rick Johnson

Academic Counselor SJHS

• Monday, November 10 - 11:45 AM - 12:35 PM in Mrs. Johnson's Art Classroom

• Wednesday, November 12 - 11:45 - 12:35 PM in Mrs. Kelley's Classroom #6

• Thursday, November 13 - 11:45AM - 12:35 PM in Mrs. Hitchcock's Culinary Classroom

by Tawnya Wood

SJHS will not have a Winter Formal this year. This will allow us time to deliberate and better prepare for future activities and dances.

On October 25th and 27th, hundreds of attendees got to enjoy a good, old fashioned night at the theater. No singing and dancing in this one, but lots of laughs and a hint of poison. Already looking forward to next year's fall play. Should we give you a CLUE? ;)

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We Are One. We Fear No One. Eyes Up.